A Breakthrough XTERRA Win for Burgunder at Gouldsboro

Solomon and Shokey remain top women in Pocono Series

Richard Burgunder can now add "race winner" to his long list of XTERRA accolades.

Burgunder won his first XTERRA trail run last weekend, finishing first overall at the XTERRA Gouldsboro Trail Run at Gouldsboro, Pa., on June 18. He entered many previous XTERRA trail runs across the country over the past three years, and had several top-five finishes to show for it. But until last weekend, he had never won an XTERRA Trail Run.
 
"After several close and competitive races over the last couple of years, this was my very first XTERRA victory," said Burgunder, who is 32 and resides in Pittsburgh, Pa. "I had a good feeling about this race, despite missing two XTERRA events over the last two weeks due to a lingering hamstring injury. The rest must have paid off!"

Burgunder (pictured at right leading the pack) completed the 10-kilometer course at Gouldsboro State Park in 38 minutes, 53 seconds. Burgunder is also recognized as XTERRA's first "Trail Run Ambassador" and has helped promote XTERRA events in his home region for the past several years.

"The course started off fast on the beach, then proceeded up a long climb, before entering some very technical and rocky singletrack trails," he said. "There were many surprises throughout the course, including a never ending climb on an old road, which also had several downed tress from a recent storm that we had to navigate around."

Burgunder took the lead on the first uphill, and stayed in front the rest of the way. He used a strong finish to put sizeable gap on the rest of the field.

Christopher Allman placed second in 40:56, and Brian Thomas was third in 42:09.

In the women's division, Jaclyn Shokey and Nadalie Solomon continued their back-and-forth competition in the XTERRA Pocono Trail Run Series. Shokey took the victory this time, completing the Gouldsboro course in 43:16, which was also good for an impressive fifth place overall.

Solomon placed second in 44:14. Shokey and Solomon are the only runners to take top honors this year in the women's division of Pocono Series. They each have two victories.

The XTERRA Gouldsboro Trail Run was the fourth of five races in the 2011 XTERRA Pocono Trail Run Series. The series finale will be the XTERRA Mocanaqua/Earth Conservancy Trail Run, which is scheduled for July 9 at the Mocanaqua Loop Trail System.

To register for a race in the XTERRA Pocono Series, or to learn more about it, please visit www.wilkesbarreracing.com or www.xterratrailrun.com.

© 2013 TEAM Unlimited LLC